To the maximum we represent only about 1

World number one of agri-food, Nestlé very well out of the crisis. The Swiss group now displays the best profitability of the profession. On the stock exchange, its action is better bound than those of Danone, Kraft, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble. Nestlé is the first European company by market value, all sectors. With financial margins of manoeuvre that allow it all imaginable acquisitions. For "Les Echos", his boss, Paul Bulcke, draws lessons from the crisis, and explains its ambitions for the group.

Nestlé manufactures about 10,000 different products. Are some more important than others in your eyes

We sell more than 1 billion of products per day, with some very small. In some countries of Africa, it sells the Maggi cube cut into two. But all are important, because it is precisely the diversity of our portfolio and the scope of our geographic presence that are our strength. That said, we still, as the media, are favourites. Today, Nespresso is a little special. This product is already twenty years old, but its sales accelerate for ten years. It is more than a product, it is a concept, a design, boutiques, quality... But it is "only" 3 billion CHF 2.3 billion euros, Editor's note of turnover out of a total more than 100 billion.

The golden age of Nespresso does not happened Arrival new competitors will trim your margins

The margins are and will remain honest and challenging. The competitive pressure on the market of coffee, he is in still had. This only frightens us, this stimulates us even. Not only remains in many countries to conquer for Nespresso, but even in areas where we are already present, we can continue to progress. We have also proven with the success of Nescafé Dolce Gusto that we could, through innovation, contribute to expand the market. NESCAF Dolce Gusto was launched in 2006 and has already reached at the end of 2009 a turnover of 300 million Swiss francs.

Growth should still be slow

For Nespresso course, growth cannot be perpetually exponential. But take Nescafé. This product is not yesterday and the competition has been very rude. We have been copied, attacked across... And yet, with a turnover exceeding 10 billion Swiss francs and in continuous growth, Nescafé is not to be ashamed of the comparison with Nespresso. Similarly, for Kit Kat which celebrates this year its seventy-five years. It was able to make the more crispy bar to reset the United Kingdom sales of 10. There is no old products, but perhaps old managers.

Do you fear a recurrence of the global economy

But the world economy has fallen! Western Europe, the United States experienced a crisis. Yet, the world economy continued to grow in 2009. As our market is global long, emerging from the growth are not new markets for us. It is a good thing to see areas where 80 of the population live work to build a better future. We are already 35 of our turnover is more than 35 billion francs. Half of our plants are. We have accumulated experiences that allow us to understand the expectations of the consumers and these markets.

Should be really specific products to these countries

Do not offer consumers the India, China or the Brazil of the versions at broken prices products it offers to consumers in the middle class of Western countries. We need to adapt. Need to produce, distribute, sell, communicate otherwise. We have to do a specific approach that we call "popular positioning products" in our jargon. But to adapt to the application is also a necessity in the developed markets. In the United States where there are more than 50 million Hispanics, we adapted our offering. We have also become the world leader of industrialized products halal. More than 80 of our 456 factories are certified halal. Some speak. We do so.

The crisis has, you permanently changed the behaviour of the consumer

In the West, in the United States, the crisis surely induce a certain attitude of reserve. When you hear all the days of public debt, unemployment, this feeds a certain wait. Reported some purchases and there is a tendency to seek to buy cheaper. In our product lines, we already had an offer to deal with this phenomenon. Crisis or no crisis, we have long recognized that there is no one type of product to deal with the diversity of the expectations of consumers. It has been suggested a few more smaller formats, but without any change. French household spends about 15 of its budget to food expenditure. Rushing to the promotions may attempt to reduce its expenditures by 10. But will he quit daily pleasures to reduce overall expenses 1.5 In times of crisis, tends rather to delay the purchase of a car. Food can be instantly reduced, but it's hard to save many. Moreover, the crisis did not prevent a product as Nescafé Dolce Gusto to continue advancing. Even when times are hard, can seduce the consumer.

Nestlé is already a giant. Can you still grow by external growth without application of the competition authorities

We have a respectable, but relatively modest size. To the maximum, we represent only about 1.5 of the world market for the food industry. There are many areas in which the world number one has a market very clearly superior. That said, even if external growth operations to accelerate our growth should be regularly tested, our main potential lies in our ability to succeed our organic growth. Our main engine is. Every year, we review about 20 of our portfolio of products and rethinking the revenue. In five years, it is all of our products is thus reviewed. Our ambition is clearly displayed: we want that in blind tests, at least 60 of consumers prefer our products. And we want more that our products have all of the truly most nutritionally.

The drinks market does not attempt to you

We are already in the water, the healthiest of the soft-drinks. No need to run all Hare both. We want to stay loyal to our principles, continue to build on healthy eating. We see more and more the link between diet and health. Eat can reduce health care expenditures. It is an opportunity of growth for us, as well as the ageing of the population which gives rise to new needs.

But still just in the food, can you grow faster than the global economy

Global GDP grows 2 to 3 per year. We want more. Our ambition is to grow in the duration of 5 to 6 on average. Some years it will be more, others a little less. We, we aim a healthy growth over the period.

How do you explain the current volatility of raw materials

There are several factors: first, the significant growth in demand combined with the offer which was not followed. To avoid the very large differences in price, should be more open, more transparent markets and an agricultural policy that integrates the growth. The arable land in the world are limited. But the means to increase the food supply with less than land exist. Open discussions on access and utilization of the water and try to plan for the future rather than defend the status quo as it is with the common agricultural policy should be. All these debates lack many of serenity and more comprehensive contextual thought that should be restore by analysing the situation of the economic point of view.